Since its inception in 1885, the constituency has been centred on the town of Barrow-in-Furness, at the tip of the Furness peninsula. Over the intervening years the constituency has periodically grown in size, and as of the 2024 general election it incorporates the entirety of the peninsula, the Eskdale and Duddon Valleys, and all of coastal West Cumbria as far north as Ravenglass.
History and profile
The seat was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and covers the southwest part of Cumbria. The largest town in the constituency, Barrow-in-Furness, grew on the back of the shipbuilding industry and is now the site of the BAE Systemsnuclear submarine and shipbuilding operation. This reliance on the industry aligns many of its journalists and in its community with strong nuclear deterrents, from which Labour has recoiled since its involvement in the Iraq War that removed dictator Saddam Hussain. Labour Cabinet member Albert Booth represented Barrow for many years from 1966, but was defeated in 1983, in the aftermath of the Falklands War, by a Manchester lawyer, Cecil Franks of the Conservative Party, who retained the seat until 1992. Local media attributed this to widespread fears of job losses because the Labour Party was then signed up to doing away with all its nuclear capabilities including the submarines. Other industries in the constituency currently include engineering and chemicals, and more than a quarter of all jobs are in manufacturing.
As Labour revised its policies by favouring the retention of Britain's nuclear capability, and following massive job losses in the town's shipbuilding industry, Labour's fortunes revived in Barrow. John Hutton took the seat back for Labour in 1992 and retained it until the 2010 general election, when he was replaced by John Woodcock, also of Labour. In 2001, Hutton had the support of more than half of all those who voted. The 2015 result gave the seat the 10th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. In 2017, Woodcock's majority was reduced from 795 votes to 209 votes, the 16th smallest majority in the country.
Following Woodcock's resignation from the Labour party in 2018, he stood down as an MP for the 2019 general election when the seat was gained by Conservative Simon Fell, who had contested the seat unsuccessfully in 2015 and 2017. He won with a slightly greater margin than Woodcock had when he first won the seat for Labour in 2010. The seat was retaken by Labour's Michelle Scrogham at the 2024 election with a majority of 12.6% - the same as Fell's majority in 2019.
Boundaries
Historic
Barrow-in-Furness in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.
1918–1950: The County Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.
1950–1983: The County Borough of Barrow-in-Furness and the Urban District of Dalton-in-Furness.
1983–2010: The entire District of Barrow-in-Furness and the following wards from the District of South Lakeland: Low Furness, Pennington, Ulverston Central, Ulverston East, Ulverston North, Ulverston South and Ulverston West.
2010–2024: The entire District of Barrow-in-Furness and the following wards from the District of South Lakeland: Broughton, Crake Valley, Low Furness & Swarthmoor, Ulverston Central, Ulverston East, Ulverston North, Ulverston South, Ulverston Town and Ulverston West.
The Borough of Copeland wards of: Black Combe & Scafell; Millom.
The District of South Lakeland wards of: Broughton & Coniston (polling districts AHA, AHB, AHC, BZ, CA, CB, CL and CY); Furness Peninsula; Ulverston East; Ulverston West.
With effect from 1 April 2023, the second tier councils in Cumbria were abolished and replaced by the new unitary authorities of Cumberland, and Westmorland and Furness. Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
The Cumberland wards of: Millom; Millom Without (most).
The Westmorland and Furness wards of: Dalton North; Dalton South; Hawcoat and Newbarns; High Furness; Low Furness; Old Barrow and Hindpool; Ormsgill and Parkside; Risedale and Roosecote; Ulverston; Walney Island; and a very small part of Coniston and Hawkshead.
The constituency was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the town of Millom from the abolished constituency of Copeland.
Results for Barrow and Furness since 1997, as to those parties/others who at some point have kept their deposit in this time. This means have won 5% of the vote, or more.
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^"Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
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